Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Bridge Surgery on 7 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all of the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded. Significant events were investigated and acted on when necessary. However, senior staff were not always circulating clinical significant events to all relevant staff and conducting reviews of them to identify trends or if further action was required.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Safe systems were in place for prescribing medicines. Clinical staff processes ensured that patients received safe and appropriate care and this was clearly documented.

• Staffing levels were monitored to ensure they matched patients’ needs. Safe arrangements were in place for staff recruitment that protected patients from risks of harm. The practice manager had been absent from the practice for over 3 months and would not be returning. Senior staff informed us they would make arrangements to commence recruitment for a replacement.

• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training had been identified and planned to enhance their skills and patient care.

• Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their treatment. They said they were satisfied with standards of care they received.

• Telephone appointments were available as well as face to face for the same day. Patients spoken with were not aware they could pre-book appointments. At the time of our inspection the practice did not have an active online service for patients to book appointments however; this was put in place one week afterwards.

• Information about how to make a complaint was readily available and easy to understand. Complaints were dealt with in a timely way and appropriately.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to assess and treat patients.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff told us they felt well supported by senior staff. Management proactively sought feedback from patients which it acted on.

• The practice had been working closely with another local practice to promote on-going improvements in patient care. Collaboration working with other local practices was in place with the aim developing ways of meeting future service demands.

However, there was an area of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure that significant events are cascaded to all relevant staff, regularly reviewed and where trends are identified determine whether further actions are required to prevent similar events from occurring.

• Monitor the recently introduced system for booking online appointments to ensure it is working effectively.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice